


a verb in perfect view

by unicornsparkle11



Category: The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-10-19 10:21:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17599469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unicornsparkle11/pseuds/unicornsparkle11
Summary: Returning Ravka High School to its former glory will be the death of him, if Zoya doesn't kill him first.





	a verb in perfect view

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on a post I submitted to stormwitchprivateer on tumblr (https://stormwitchprivateer.tumblr.com/post/182155257628/zoyalai-high-school-au-sorry-its-so-long-i). Title is from movement by Hozier.

The first time he saw Zoya Nazyalensky, Nikolai had not meant to stare. He comforted himself with the knowledge that at least he had not been alone. It was the summer before freshman year started, and the football and cheerleading tryouts happened to coincide. Zoya had pushed her way through the crowd of hopefuls, tossed her marvellous hair back, and perfectly executed moves that even the varsity cheerleaders had trouble with. The sight of her flipping across the field, a blur of blue, had caused the football tryouts to grind to a halt. He stood, football in hand forgotten, and watched as she landed and smirked. Even at fourteen, she was unfairly pretty with flawless brown skin and glacier blue eyes. 

After the whooping and disbelieving whispers died down, Nikolai kept watching. She did not allow herself a small, private smile, nor did she respond to the barrage of questions about her training and experience. She simply lifted her chin and stared down Aleksander Morozova, the then captain of the squad, until he grudgingly made her Ravka High’s first freshman varsity cheerleader. 

Now, two years later, she was looking at him with the very same intensity. It was highly unnerving, if he was being honest. They’d only spoken a few times since freshman year, mostly due to being sucked into the same accidental orbit around the exchange student, Alina Starkov. That was how he had also met Genya Safin and David Kostyk, though they were far less terrifying. Zoya, David, and Genya sat in the far chemistry lab that Nikolai had grandly proclaimed their headquarters with considerable distance between them. That would be the first thing he needed to fix, Nikolai noted to himself. He had chosen the three of them to gain access to nearly all of the students of Ravka High. As student body president and member of every school club that he knew of, Nikolai was already well liked among the students. It helped matters that he was also captain of the football team and quite handsome, if he did say so himself (which he did, often). What did not help matters so much was his own father, the principle, practically razing the school to the ground with his own incompetence and atrocities. Nikolai had found it difficult to look Genya in the eyes after the news came out, his shame for his father’s actions overpowering his usual politeness. Some of the students found it difficult to trust him at all after what his father did. But Nikolai knew that he could bring the fix the school he loved so fiercely, he just needed some help. 

With Ravka High low in funds and with a tarnished reputation, everyone suddenly had skin in the game. Every extracurricular activity was being threatened with getting cut, and the juniors applying to colleges had started to panic. All Nikolai had to do was secure more school funding, boost the school’s reputation, and make the students trust him again. It was not impossible, but he couldn’t do it alone. 

Zoya had made head cheerleader as a junior, a feat unheard of. It helped matters that Aleksander had been expelled due to his escalation of prank wars with Fjerda high school into something resembling actual warfare, but no one could deny her natural talent. The sports kids would rally around her for sure. For once, Nikolai was thankful that her beauty remained as distracting as it was the first time. Zoya had high visibility not only in their school, but the entire district. She only had seven photos on Instagram, four from two years ago, and yet she still managed to have the second largest number of followers in the school. First was, of course, Genya. She was the unofficial leader of all the artsy kids, though she herself specialised in painting. On the side, she ran an absurdly successful makeup channel on YouTube. Nikolai was no liar, he himself had watched her explain how to get the perfect highlight. Her high profile would be useful too, especially as people tended to actually like her rather than simply fear her. She had become a bit of a hero in the past year. Not only was she an outspoken advocate for survivors, but she wore the scars of Aleksander’s revenge proudly. Last, and least noticed, was David. He was the president of the STEM club and had the most incredible mind of anyone Nikolai had ever met. Tragically, all of his flirting in freshman year simply resulted in David looking vaguely bemused and then returning to his work. Nikolai had settled for getting to work on projects with him instead. Nikolai had AP chemistry with Genya and David, though, and he thought he might have seen Genya trying to accomplish what he couldn’t. 

Before Alina had returned to her old school with her boyfriend, Mal, she had spoken to the three of them and asked them to work with Nikolai to try and fix what her truly psychotic ex had done. Nikolai’s father may have weakened the school, but it was Aleksander’s stupid prank wars that delivered the final blow. Nikolai wasn’t sure exactly how the three of them had reacted to that proposal, but their presence in the dingy chemistry lab at 6:30 in the morning was promising. 

“As you might be well aware, our school has become…”  
“A shithole?” Genya offered.  
“Precisely the word I was looking for. In any case, since the school’s administration is still tied up with legal matters, it’s going to stay a shithole unless we do something.”  
“Like what?” David asked.  
“We’ll start by organising fundraisers for all the extracurriculars. I know that everyone has lost at least some funding, so that’s the first priority.”  
“How will that work? No one seems to even care about school events anymore.” Genya said. It has to work, Nikolai thought, but in the moment, he could offer nothing that was actually convincing.  
“We’ll make them care,” Zoya said, with a fierceness he did not expect. She had barely said anything that was not, at the very least, vaguely insulting, and yet he believed her. She cast her eyes upon him.  
“You had better follow through on this, Lantsov, or I’ll drop kick you to Mars.” He grinned. This was going to be fun.


End file.
